What we are up to

No, not Top Cat. This T.C. couldn't be more distinct: he lives in a house at last report, not a trash can, and his immediate circle is made up of humans, not criminally minded, loquacious alley cats. (That said, I bet he looks great wearing nothing but a purple boater and waistcoat.)

No, the T.C. I speak of is Tim Clare (left), a writer and performer who proved a hit at our Wave If You're Really There events last year.

As of today, he's also our newest columnist. Be sure to check out his first post here (or, er... below, if you're reading this on the blog's main page), and then venture over to his own blog, Cone O' Tragedy. Tim is also on the road as part of Found In Translation, a comic lecture/poetry show written with fellow Mercy favourites Joe Dunthorne and Ross Sutherland. The next performance is in Stockon on Wednesday, with London (Feb 16) and Maidenhead (Feb 25) to follow. Full details of the mini-tour here.